Sports fans everywhere celebrated Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks drafted Shaquem Griffin, who had his left hand amputated at age 4, in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.
Since being drafted, Griffin's inspirational story has made him a fan favorite not only on social media, but also when it comes to jersey sales.
According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, Shaquem Griffin's #49 Seahawks jersey ranks fifth overall in rookie jersey sales.
Most Sold Jerseys Of NFL Draftees, according to Fanatics:
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 1, 2018
1. @saquon (Pick #2, Giants)
2. @bakermayfield (Pick #1, Browns)
3. Sam Darnold (Pick #3 Jets)
4. @JoshAllenQB (Pick #7, Bills)
5. @Shaquemgriffin (Pick #141, Seahawks) pic.twitter.com/vpYmcvLy5P
""It's just so much. I'm extremely blessed. It definitely was a tough three days. A lot of anxiety these few days, but I'm ready to get up there and go to work and start something great," Griffin told reporters on a conference call.
What a moment, @Shaquemgriffin is officially a Seahawk! #SeahawksDraft pic.twitter.com/7BGA8SPgmt
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 28, 2018
Griffin was the American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year in 2016 and the MVP of UCF's Peach Bowl victory against Auburn last season when UCF went 13-0.
Scroll down to continue reading
More news from KIRO 7
- Seattle May Day 2018: What to know about traffic
- Seattle braces for May Day 2018
- May Day in Seattle: Real-time updates, photos and video
- GUIDE: Navigating through May Day 2018
- Police: Boy found safe, Amber Alert canceled in Tacoma
A groundswell of support got him an invite to the scouting combine in Indianapolis, where he stunned onlookers by bench-pressing 225 pounds a staggering 20 times with a prosthetic left hand and then covered the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.
Using a prosthetic on his left arm, @Shaquemgriffin just put up 20 reps on the bench press! 💪#NFLCombine @UCF_Football
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2018
📺: @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/fHS0b4Eb0s
Griffin will be reunited with his brother Shaquill, who was a third-round pick of the Seahawks in 2017 and became a starter in his rookie season. The brothers played together throughout their youth and at Central Florida before Shaquill entered the NFL.
"I was going to be happy no matter what team that gave him the opportunity," Shaqill said. "At the end of the day that's all I wanted for him for a team to give him a shot and give him an opportunity and take a chance on someone that is great."
Cox Media Group